Power box side step

ABSTRACT

An articulating step assembly for a vehicle which includes a mount for attachment to a vehicle, a step member and an articulating linkage connecting the mount and the step for stowing and deploying the step. A motor is attached to the linkage to provide raising and lowering of the step. A weather sealed non-contact switch located on the assembly for actuating the motor and linkage in response to movement of the step in a predetermined direction for deploying the step.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.62/657,366, filed Apr. 13, 2018. The disclosures of the aboveapplication are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to power box side step on vehicle. Moreparticularly the present invention relates to reliable activation of thepower side step from outside of the vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

For a powered side step to be activated by some means of electricalswitching, there must be a reliable type of switching that is notaffected by the environment of the side step device. This environmentincludes to accumulation of possible snow, ice and mud build on the stepsurfaces and surrounding linkages. Current touchless switchingtechnologies such as those being used on power lift gate systems canprovide false sensing or no sensing due to blockage in the sensing fielddue to debris as previously mentioned.

The objective is to employ a switching method with minimal mechanicalmoving components to provide reliable activation under all environmentalconditions. This activation must have an ergonomically acceptablemovement of a customer's foot with a minimum of force and effort to usethe device to provide a hands free operation.

Currently, there are no powered side box steps in production that have amotion sensing or other external sensing device for raising and loweringthe step from the outside of the vehicle. Typically the steps will onlydeploy when a door of the vehicle is opened.

Powered lift gates on the rear of utility vehicles are being produced bya number of EOM's. These have been designed to create a hands freeoperation of the lift gate to open the lift gate by motion sensors orthe like which detect the waving of an operators foot at a locationwhich is typically under a bumper. When certain conditions of snow orice accumulation exist at the bottom of the bumper area, these switchingmethods have proven too unreliable by waving one's foot under the bumperto typically activate the lift gate opening. Such switches are alsoprone to unintentional operation.

Therefore it is a goal to provide a device that has limited or no movingparts to wear out. And there is no need to be in actual contact with thecustomer's foot to the vehicle.

It is also a goal to prevent potential failures of the switch and stepto function due to debris or obstructions in an area such as the lowerside of a vehicle where snow and ice buildup is impossible to prevent inwinter driving conditions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An articulating step assembly for a vehicle which includes a mount forattachment to a vehicle, a step member and an articulating linkageconnecting the mount and the step for stowing and deploying the step. Amotor is attached to the linkage to provide raising and lowering of thestep. A weather sealed non-contact switch located on the assembly foractuating the motor and linkage in response to movement of the step in apredetermined direction for deploying the step.

The use of a reed switch which has no moving parts that is activated bya change of magnetic field strength adjacent to the switch solves theproblem of debris buildup. A slight upward movement of the step withone's foot creates this magnetic switching action.

This invention employs a kick to activate electrical switch with reedswitch and magnet combination.

Further areas of applicability of the present invention will becomeapparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It shouldbe understood that the detailed description and specific examples, whileindicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended forpurposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope ofthe invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from thedetailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the articulating step of the presentinvention shown in a deployed position and attached to a surface of avehicle;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the articulating step of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom rear perspective view of the articulating step ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the articulating step of thepresent invention shown in a stowed position;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the articulating step of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a side view of the articulating step of FIG. 5 illustratingthe rotation of the step for activating a reed switch for deployment ofthe step;

FIG. 7 is a side view of the articulating step of the present inventionin the deployed position illustrating tilting of the step member foractivating the switch to stow the step in the stowed position;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing the details of a reed switch assemblyused in the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing the magnet of the reed switch tiltedup for actuation of the step mechanism;

FIG. 10 is a is a sectional view showing the biasing spring for biasingof the step member;

FIG. 11 is a schematic view showing the operations of the magnet andreed switch;

FIG. 12 is a schematic view showing the activation of the reed switch;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the reed switch connections withthe electronic control module and motor;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing detail of the four bar link;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing the step in a lowered position andshowing the step mount provisions; and

FIG. 16 is a bottom perspective view of the assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merelyexemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention,its application, or uses.

Referring now to FIG. 1 there is shown an articulating step assembly fora vehicle is generally shown at 10. Such articulating steps and poweredrunning boards and the like are shown in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No.7,118,120 issued Oct. 10, 2006 entitled “Powered Running Board”; andU.S. Patent Application 62/769,240 filed Nov. 19, 2018 entitled “PowerRetractable Bumper Step” which are incorporated by reference herein.Articulating step assembly 10 includes a mount 12 for attachment to avehicle 14, a step member 16 and an articulating linkage, generallyindicated at 18. Articulating linkage 18 is operably connected betweenthe mount 12 and the step member 16 for stowing and deploying the stepmember 16. A motor 20 is attached to the linkage 18 to provide raisingand lowering of the step member 16. A switch 22 selected frompushbutton, other type of weather sealed mechanical switches,photoelectric switches or other non-contact switches, generallyindicated at 22 is located on the assembly for actuating the motor 20and linkage 18 in response to movement of the step 16 in a predetermineddirection, such as upward in arrow direction 24 for deploying the step16.

Step 16 is connected to a base member 26 by way of T-nuts 28 and screws30 (shown in FIGS. 15 and 16) is retained in a channel in the linkmember (as seen in FIGS. 9 and 10). The base member 26 is pivotallyattached to a link member 32 at pivot point 34. The step 16 is biasedinto its downward position by way of springs 36 and 38 operating on aflange 40 which is retained loosely in a channel 42 in link member forallowing limited pivoting of the base member 26. The range of motion ofthe step may be utilized in a range necessary for a particularapplication. Generally, the range of motion would be in a range ofgreater than 0 to about 45 degrees; typically from about 3 to about 10degrees and preferably from about 4 to about 7 degrees in an upwarddirection. In a preferred embodiment the base is tiltable in an upwarddirection for about 5 degrees of motion.

The link member 32 forms part of a four bar link assembly 18 whichincludes legs 42 and 44 which connect between the link member 32 and theupper attachment mount 50 and the driving motor 20. The upper leg 42 isthe driven leg and the lower leg 44 is the following leg. The legs 42and 44 are pivotally attached at pivot axles 46 and 48 at theirrespective lower ends. The lower leg 44 is pivotally attached to theattachment mount 50. The upper end of upper leg 42 is operably attachedto the motor 20 for driving the step assembly 10 from the deployedposition as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, to the stowed position as shown inFIGS. 4 and 5 and vice versa. The motor 20 is wired to switch 22 by wayof the conduit 52.

Referring now to FIGS. 8-12 the switch 22 is a reed switch attached in abore in the lower end of the link member 32. A magnet 54 is secured in abore formed in the mount 26 with a plug member 56. The magnet 54 ispositioned at the reed switch 22 so that the switch is actuated when themagnet 54 is moved away from the reed switch 22. This arrangementprovides a switch that is completely sealed from the environment. Thisprotects the switch from road grime mud and the like which will beencountered by such a step attached to a pickup truck on the side orrear of the pickup truck.

Referring to FIGS. 11, 12 and 13 when the step is desired to be moved upor down the operator of the step 16 lifts up the outer end of step 16 inthe direction 24 to accomplish the predetermined 5 degree rotation alongpivot 34. This pivots the magnet 54 in the mount 26 about 3 mm to tripthe reed switch 22. The control unit 56 which senses this and actuatesthe motor 20 moving the step 16 from deployed to stowed position orstowed to deployed position. Deploy stop bumpers 58, 60, 62 and 64provide solid stops at each of the position which is sensed byovercurrent in the motor or the like to stop the motor and leave thestep 16 in its deployed or stowed position until the reed switch ittripped again by movement of the step in the upward direction 24.

While a single step is shown, it is to be appreciated that the inventioncan be used in an elongated running board type assembly also or othertypes of linkages useful in retractable steps for a vehicle.

The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and,thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention areintended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations arenot to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

What is claimed is:
 1. An articulating step assembly for a vehiclecomprising: a mount for attachment to a vehicle; a step member; anarticulating linkage connecting the mount and the step for stowing anddeploying the step; a motor for attached to the linkage to provideraising and lowering of the step; a weather sealed switch located on theassembly for actuating the motor and linkage in response to movement ofthe step in a predetermined direction for deploying the step.
 2. Thearticulating step assembly of claim 1 wherein said switch is a weathersealed switch selected from the group of: a plunger switch; a pushbuttonswitch; other type of weather sealed mechanical switch; a photoelectricswitch a reed switch and/or another non-contact switch.
 3. Thearticulating step assembly of claim 2 wherein said switch is anon-contact switch.
 4. The articulating step assembly of claim 3 whereinsaid non-contact switch is a magnetic reed switch.
 5. The articulatingstep assembly of claim 3 wherein the step member includes a magnet andis operably associated with a non-contact switch on the linkage, thestep includes an assembly which allows rotation for separating themagnet from the reed switch for actuation and deployment of the stepinto one of the deployed or stowed positions.
 6. The articulating stepassembly of claim 3 wherein the linkage comprises a four bar linkassembly for raising and lowering the step.
 7. The articulating stepassembly of claim 4 wherein the four bar link assembly has a bottom linkand the step is pivotally connected to the bottom link for pivotingupward for a predetermined range of motion.
 8. The articulating stepassembly of claim 5 wherein the step member includes a base pivotallyattached to the bottom link and the base is biased for holding the stepin a downward position wherein the step can be moved upward for trippingthe switch and actuating the assembly.
 9. The articulating step assemblyof claim 6 wherein the switch is a reed switch and a magnet is providedin the step assembly at a predetermined distance for operating the reedswitch when the magnet is pivoted away during pivoting of the step. 10.The articulating step assembly of claim 7 wherein the reed switch is inthe step assembly and the magnet is operably positioned in the linkmember.
 11. The articulating step of claim 8 further comprising a motorcontrol unit; said motor control unit having over current sensingcapabilities for sensing the limits of travel of the four bar linkageand shutting off the motor when the assembly is in the stowed positionand the deployed position.
 12. An articulating step assembly for avehicle comprising: a mount for attachment to a vehicle; a step member;an articulating linkage connecting the mount and the step for stowingand deploying the step said articulating linkage including a pivotalstep apparatus for allowing the step to be articulated in a upwarddirection; a motor for attached to the linkage to provide raising andlowering of the step; a weather sealed non-contact switch located on theassembly for actuating the motor and linkage in response to articulatingmovement of the step in said upward direction for deploying the step.13. The articulating step assembly of claim 12 wherein said non-contactswitch is a magnetic reed switch or photoelectric switch.
 14. Thearticulating step assembly of claim 13 wherein the step member includesa magnet and is operably associated with a non-contact reed switch onthe linkage, the step includes an assembly which allows rotation forseparating the magnet from the reed switch for actuation and deploymentof the step into one of the deployed or stowed positions.
 15. Thearticulating step assembly of claim 14 wherein the linkage comprises afour bar link assembly for raising and lowering the step.
 16. Thearticulating step assembly of claim 15 wherein the four bar linkassembly has a bottom link and the step is pivotally connected to thebottom link for pivoting upward for a predetermined range of motion. 17.The articulating step assembly of claim 16 wherein the step memberincludes a base pivotally attached to the bottom link and the base isbiased for holding the step in a downward position wherein the step canbe moved upward for tripping the switch and actuating the assembly. 18.The articulating step assembly of claim 17 wherein the switch is a reedswitch and a magnet is provided in the step assembly at a predetermineddistance for operating the reed switch when the magnet is pivoted awayduring pivoting of the step.
 19. The articulating step assembly of claim18 wherein the reed switch is in the step assembly and the magnet isoperably positioned in the link member.
 20. The articulating stepassembly of claim 19 further comprising a motor control unit; said motorcontrol unit having over current sensing capabilities for sensing thelimits of travel of the four bar linkage and shutting off the motor whenthe assembly is in the stowed position and the deployed position. 21.The articulating step assembly of claim 18 wherein the bottom linkincludes a channel member and the step included an attachment portionwith a flange extending into the channel member wherein the flange ismoveable in the channel member for allowing a limited movement of theflange in the channel member during upward pivoting of the step; thechannel includes biasing springs for biasing the step in a downwarddirection but allowing pivoting of the step in an upward direction foractuation of the switch.